The die is cast for the future of energy, according to a new report profiled by The Guardian, and experts at the International Energy Agency dismissed a scattered "green backlash" as little more than a dirty energy extinction burst.
In many parts of the world, 2025 was a pivotal year for all things clean energy and renewables.
In early November, Bloomberg reported that the S&P Global Green Energy Transition Index had "overtaken the S&P 500 Index, Nasdaq 100 Index, and the MSCI World Index," and the bundled clean energy ticker was up 46% year-over-year in November.
Clean energy investments are soaring worldwide. Renewable energy recently surpassed coal as the main source of global electricity, and investments in dirty energy are dwindling in tandem.
In short, it's not necessary to be a global energy expert to suspect this energy revolution reached critical momentum on a cross-national scale, but the IEA's latest annual report laid bare the rapid advance of cleaner, cheaper energy worldwide.
Over the next five years, the IEA said it anticipates more renewable energy infrastructure will be "rolled out" than was built in the preceding four decades.
That aspect was especially relevant to the current moment, as myriad advances — particularly the upscaling of artificial intelligence and AI data centers — spiked electricity demand and costs. In the United States, electricity bills have skyrocketed throughout 2025.
On Nov. 7, Vox predicted that clean energy would rapidly become a priority among American voters amid unbearably high utility costs and as renewable energy sources such as solar become increasingly affordable.
Installing solar panels remains one of the best ways to lower utility bills, oftentimes down to $0. TCD's Solar Explorer is a free tool that connects consumers to vetted solar installers and provides hassle-free, competitive quotes.
Solar Explorer can save customers up to $10,000 on new solar panel installations. For those interested in solar without upfront costs, Palmetto's LightReach offers $0 down options, helping more consumers lock in low utility rates.
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Absolutely 💯 In America, the clean energy transition faced novel policy hurdles in 2025 as longstanding energy initiatives were rolled back or abruptly discontinued. However, the IEA and energy experts dismissed the reversal as inconsequential in the face of an "inevitable" global shift.
Per The Guardian, energy transition expert David Tong said that "no single country can stop the energy transition," citing the IEA's blockbuster report. Dave Jones, chief analyst at think tank Ember, agreed.
"Renewables and electrification will dominate the future — and all fossil-importing nations will gain the most by embracing them," Jones asserted.
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